Hi @littlebluebird, I’d be very cautious with using turmeric powder to control itching. While turmeric/curcumin can be very beneficial for its anti-inflammatory properties the powder may cause an allergic reaction when people come into contact with it.
However, there are turmeric ointment preparations on the market that you may want to check out. If you have a natural health food/product store, pay a visit. Their staff members are usually well versed in what products they have that might be helpful.

But again if this is for controlling your mom’s overall itching from the side effects of MDS, I don’t know how much she’d be able to rub on that may or may cause side effects of its own.
My heart goes out to your mom for her pain and frustration with dealing with this incessant itching. I experienced severe itching with my AML diagnosis (similar to MDS). I hated the thought of jumping into the shower because I knew it would trigger another period of itching. Keeping the water lukewarm did help a little. Too hot or too cold seemed to make it worse. Claritin (not Claritin D) did seem to help (a little) when taken on a daily basis. Amazingly, when I started chemo, all the itching stopped.

Here’s a thought, has your mom tried drinking Golden Tea? It’s made with turmeric. There are recipes on line. However, turmeric can also be a blood thinner so definitely check with your mom’s oncology team to see if she can have that! I wasn’t able to have turmeric while in treatment for AML or my bone marrow transplant.
There are so many foods that are rich in antioxidants/anti-inflammatory properties. How’s your mom’s diet?